1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to object locator systems and methods of operation. More particularly, this invention relates to a three dimensional (3-D) object locator system for items or sites using an intuitive sound beacon: system and method of operation
2. Description of Prior Art
There are many occasions in a user""s activity to locate an item or a site. The search for the item or site often turns out to be a time consuming, expensive, in terms of lost man-hours, and a frustrating problem. There are many techniques to direct a use to an item or site ranging from visual maps with directions, to using a GPS with speech. Maps are time consuming to follow and require that the user divert his/her attention as they look for an item or a site. Verbal prompts combined with GPS (such as those used in automotive applications), enable hands-and-eyes free operation but are difficult to integrate into systems used indoors and outdoors and may require additional concurrent speech input/output. One example to illustrate the problem is xe2x80x9cwarehouse pickingxe2x80x9d in which a user picks and bundles selected items gathered from within a warehouse. The picker is provided a xe2x80x9cpick listxe2x80x9d which includes the location, type and quantity of the item(s) to be picked. In the past, the pick list was written on paper. Current state-of-the-art warehouses are replacing paper lists with mobile terminals using either display or speech input/output to identify the item to be picked. All such modalities provide a destination location, such as an aisle and bin number, for each pick item. However, mobile terminals, for example, do not provide assistance in identifying the destination of the item, requiring the user to remember the location of the item or go back to the pick list if the destination is forgotten. What is needed in the art is an object locator system which provides continual directional feedback from an item or site to a user from any starting point within an area thereby saving time and expense in locating items or sites without irritating frustration.
Prior art related to object locator systems for items or sites, includes:
1) U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,189 issued Aug. 1, 2000 discloses a portable system that is operational for determining, with three dimensional resolution, the position of a buried object or a proximately positioned object that may move in space or air or gas. The system has a plurality of receivers for detecting the signal from a target antenna and measuring the phase thereof with respect to a reference signal. The relative permittivity and conductivity of the medium in which the object is located is used along with the measured phase signal to determine a distance between the object and each of the plurality of receivers. Knowing these distances, an iteration technique is provided for solving equations simultaneously to provide position coordinates. The system may also be used for tracking movement of an object within close range of the system by sampling and recording subsequent positions of the object. A dipole target antenna, when positioned adjacent to a buried object, may be energized using a separate transmitter which couples energy to the target antenna through the medium. The target antenna then preferably resonates at a different frequency, such as a second harmonic of the transmitter frequency.
2) U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,232 discloses a communication system that communicates for locating one or more tags in a time and energy efficient manner. The tags are positioned in a communication region and are located by a locator. The tags are located through organized transmission and reception of signals between the tags and the locator. The locator locates and gives directions to tags from the locator using a radio link and a multi-channel ultrasonic acoustic link. The combination of linkages provides the means to determine the unobstructed bearing and distance between the locator and the tag and resolves multipath reflections.
3) U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,733 discloses a position guidance apparatus is a microprocessor-based tool used to aid a parachute jumper in reaching a predetermined target position in an interactive manner. The device is particularly valuable in aiding those who have to do parachute jumps under hazardous conditions such as at night, into terrain with no visible orientation features, or into terrain wherein a precisely located landing is desired. The position guidance apparatus provides location/directional guidance in a visual and potentially audible manner to guide the user in steering he/she into an appropriate targeted landing zone. The apparatus is one that is preferably strapped onto the forearm of a user and provides a small graphical display of current position, target position, and predicted destination position. Alternatively, the display can be implemented as a heads-up display for the user. The display further relays instruction information to the user to vary the predicted destination position and thereby minimize deviation from a predetermined target position.
4) U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,332 discloses to an on-board navigation system which continuously informs a driver of the degree of approach of a vehicle to a destination by outputting a sound suited to the driver""s actual running feeling.
None of the prior art discloses an object locator system for items and/or sites in which the system tracks the user relative to the item or site to be located and generates sound cues perceived by the user as originating from the item or site to be located, the sound cues changing in intensity as the user moves toward or away from the item or site to be located.
An object locator system generates an audio signal as if emanating from the object as a user varies angular orientation and distance from an object or site to be located within an area. The system includes a central computer linked to an access transceiver receiving RF transmission from a user wearing a headset including a transceiver and electronic compass. The compass provides a signal indicative of the user orientation which is received by access transceivers as an input to a computer for calculating the location of the user based on the time difference of arrival of the RF signal and triangulation of the user position. Optionally, an accelerometer may be included in the headset to continuously track user movement. The location of the object in x, y and z coordinates is provided by a directory or other reference source stored in the computer. The position of the user and the coordinates of the object may be used to calculate the orientation and distance of the user to the object. Based on the angular orientation, horizontal and vertical distance of the object or site relative to the user, the computer maps the location information into 3-D sounds in the form of pulse amplitude or frequency modulated sound. The audio signal is perceived by the user as emanating from the object or site. The sound changes in intensity as the user proceeds along the angular orientation to the object, the sound increasing in intensity as the angular sensitivity and/or distance to object is reduced. The sound fluctuates as the user travels or faces off-axis from the desired location. The headset also includes a microphone to permit the user to request directions to an item or site within a retail area. An operator is activated by the request to provide directions to the location of the object, orally or by an audio signal. Other applications include, upon user request, an operator providing guidance or an audio signal directing the user to other mobile users or attractions in an amusement park or museum, or stores in a shopping mall.